Motor vehicle exhaust systems emit toxic and noxious gases such as hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, and carbon monoxide. Of these gases, carbon monoxide (CO) is perhaps the most harmful. Carbon monoxide is an invisible, odorless, and tasteless gas that can only be detected by a carbon monoxide detector. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, each year more than 400 Americans die from unintentional carbon monoxide poisoning not linked to fires, more than 20,000 visit the emergency room, and more than 4,000 are hospitalized. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that over 120 people die each year from accidental carbon monoxide poisoning due to carbon monoxide exposure while in motor vehicles.
Motor vehicle exhaust systems may become obstructed or partially obstructed due to snow, debris, mud, or the like. When a motor vehicle exhaust system is obstructed or partially obstructed, while the motor is operating, dangerous emissions may accumulate in the vehicle where humans or animals may be present. The occupants of the vehicle may be exposed to toxic fumes such hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, and carbon monoxide, which may cause sickness or death.
Some vehicles have a device called a catalytic converter, which converts carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide before being emitted into the atmosphere. Although catalytic converters may reduce up to 95% of carbon monoxide (CO) emissions, they do not eliminate the potential of carbon monoxide poisoning to occupants in a vehicle where carbon monoxide has built up to a dangerous level. Further, a catalytic converter will not function if there is a blockage in an exhaust pipe, because a blockage will cause gases to bypass the catalytic converter and escape.
Carbon monoxide detectors are designed to alert occupants of the presence of carbon monoxide in a closed environment, such as a home or a living space. Although conventional motor vehicles are not equipped with carbon monoxide detectors, carbon monoxide detectors for use in vehicles are available on the market. Motor vehicle manufacturers do not equip vehicles with carbon monoxide detectors because these devices may not tolerate extreme fluctuations in temperature, which occur inside closed vehicles, especially in seasonal climates. Also, exhaust fumes entering the vehicle when doors or windows are open, and high humidity can signal a false alarm.
The present invention does not replace the need for a carbon monoxide detector in a motor vehicle. The present invention may alert the occupants of a motor vehicle of the existence of an obstruction or a partial obstruction in a motor vehicle exhaust system, which may lead to the buildup of carbon monoxide in a motor vehicle if the motor is operating.
The object of the present invention is to alert occupants of a motor vehicle of an obstruction or a partial obstruction in a vehicle exhaust system, before there is a buildup of carbon monoxide in the operating motor vehicle.
Conventional safety systems in motor vehicles often include alarms, which may be visual, audible, or both, to alert the operator and passengers of safety issues. Usually, these alarms are located on the control panel of a motor vehicle, and may only be seen or heard by an operator or a passenger who is inside the motor vehicle.
On some occasions, the operator of the motor vehicle may be outside of the vehicle performing a task, such as removing snow or ice, shoveling, or cleaning the windshield, and may be unable to see or hear am alarm. The windows or doors of the vehicle may be closed while the motor is operating, particularly in cold weather, if the vehicle is being heated.
In the event that there is an obstruction or a partial obstruction in the exhaust system of a motor vehicle, while the motor is operating and a passenger is inside the vehicle, the passenger may be at risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. When the passenger is an infant, a sleeping person, an animal, or a person who does not understand that he is in danger, an alternative safety feature may be necessary for the survival of the passenger.
The present invention solves this problem not only by using a visual alarm, an audible alarm, or both, but also by using a motor for the purpose of lowering a window in a motor vehicle to reduce the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning to the occupants.
The present invention is a needed, long-sought solution to the problem of carbon monoxide poisoning due to an obstruction or a partial obstruction in a motor vehicle exhaust system while the motor is operating.